Sweet Venom Ch. 14 - Arc 01 Finale

Surrounding her were several of her demonic looking orbs. She pointed a finger at one of the many Quill-Bellies in the sky, and a massive lance of pure energy erupted from one of the orbs, annihilating the entire craft in a brilliant explosion...

"I won't be beaten so easily!" Her eyes narrowed as the Quill-Bellies began to advance on her, dropping their current objectives to begin battle with the demonic terror that had just blasted one of their own from existence.

The sky flashed with fire and fury, the crackle of energy followed by crashing machinery echoing out over and over again. Auto-cannons were brought to bear against her being as she melted the gunships with terrible efficacy.

As their gunship departed to face a bigger threat, the team ran over to where they saw Tivy get shot, hearts heavy in their chest as they approached...

To their collective relief however, Tivy was laid in the grass, clutching at her chest but the bullet had not penetrated the psyonic plating; it had certainly scared her, but she was fine. Before they could celebrate however, the plating flickered across the entire group. Its strength was waning, and their protection wouldn't last much longer.

"Tivy! You can't just go off and do crazy shit like that! Scared the life out of me!" Geralt wiped the sweat from around his eyes and lifted Tivy up off the ground. Wasting no more time, the team pushed on towards the ship as the dog fighting in the air intensified.

Another massive explosion tore through the sky, a nova lance pierced through the clouds and obliterated another Quill-Belly. Another ship immediately took its place, tried to get close, but Moltezz casually held out her hand and a cone of flame erupted into the air, melting the ship's front in seconds, and causing its ammo and fuel containers to explode in its rear. The entire thing detonated in a blast of metal, glass and scrap. Its immolated carcass plummeting from the sky and slamming through shrapnel-filled trees in a wave of bark, wood and metal.

Despite the desperate cries of the pilot within the damaged, quickly burning away to ash, the team pressed on; they didn't have the time to feel sorry for the people who'd just been trying to bomb them a few seconds ago, and any distractions now could be fatal.

"Seeth, is that -"

"I see them."

As they limped on, Seeth and Plasia realised that they weren't the only ones on the run; the forest was rapidly filling with their corrupted slaves. They were chasing down nomads, who were desperately running through the trees for their lives, families, friends, but try as they might, the horde was gaining on them. Their screams grated against the ears of the exhausted lizard, who cast a tired glance out towards the horizon, his tail flicking anxiously as he realised he did not have the strength to aid anyone else.

More explosions rang out and the distant thudding of guns began to run dry. In the battle in the sky, Moltezz appeared to be winning quite decisively; she took the Quill-Bellies down one by one with precision and tacticity, defending herself from their attacks with a shield of fire and annihilating them with more nova lances, piercing though the dawn with demonic clarity.

Although the air raid would have wounded and killed numerous slaves, their attack on the freighter would not be deterred so easily. The forest began to fill with thick, choking fog smog that rolled low across the ground, fire and ash spreading through the acrid air as stray fire bolts sprayed through the sky and splattered through the forest's tree line. The heat was unbearable, Diego's psyonic defence being the only thing keeping the group alive and moving, even in its flickering state.

Finally, they burst into another clearing and found the DA assault craft.

It was a reasonable length craft, with a brilliant white hull and a sleek design to it, with a ramp to the ground halfway across its shielded body. The indents and shrapnel on the ground suggested that the bombing raids had gone right over the assault craft, missiles perhaps even having directly hit the body of the ship, but the DA's shields proved effective, and it didn't even have a single scratch on its hull.

With Trent's help, Diego limped up the ramp and slapped the gauntlet against a bright blue access panel. The armoured airlock smoothly snapped open. Once past the second lock, the team sprinted onboard and the airlock closed quickly behind and gave them, just in time too - as the door sealed, their shielding faded away.

Wasting no time, they charged up the plated corridor together. The ship was completely empty. The cockpit had space enough for their whole crew, with multiple comfy looking pilot chairs and an intricate set of control panels.

"Right, we're in!" Diego slammed his gauntlet against the scanner and the ship came to life, engines activating with a satisfying rumble as its main systems engaged. "Can anyone fly this thing?"

"Jeez Diego, don't you high-class boys know how to do anything?" Tivy winked playfully at the lizard and leapt from Geralt's arms and onto the pilot's chair. "A nomad child could fly this thing!"

Diego forced a grin onto his face. "Just as well we've got you here then, short stuff!"

The ship was already beginning to rise, and with it rose a strong pang of guilt inside him, right in the guts. Yes, he'd saved a handful of people, but at what cost? And, perhaps worst of all, the very person he'd arrived here to help had likely died, right along with the rest of her city. He'd come here to help, to help pick apart the mystery that had been tormenting this small nomad planet, but instead, all he'd done was fall, face first into it. He just hoped he hadn't made things worse... As he glanced out of the cockpit's windows, he considered landing the ship, and keep it there, on the slightest chance that they could say someone, anyone else... But the ship kept rising, and Diego remained still; the raging inferno was quickly engulfing the entire forest, and any unshielded nomads would be dead within minutes.

Tivy glanced over the numerous blinking lights and colourful buttons that dotted the edges of the cabin and pressed the radio on, flicking through the channels. It was mostly static; the group settled down into the remaining seats as she continued to scan the channels and run her fingers over the controls.

Attention all cra-

"WAIT! GO BACK, GO BACK!"

Diego lurched forward. Tivy quickly turned the radio scanner.

-nd stations within sector 90-50 EXN-2-T. A planetary freighter has been compromised with an anomalous agent. Please exercise caution; if spotted, you must NOT allow this freighter to dock. Attention all crafts and stations within sector 90-50 EXN-2-T. A planetary freighter has been compromised with an anomalous agent... The message was playing on repeat on a local radio wavelength... from a local radio station.

"Is that... is that Oxyi...?" Diego tilted his head, listening closely to the fuzzy broadcast. "I-It must be! She's still alive?! Where could she broadcast that from?!"

"There's only one place she could; the comms centre!" Trent replied. " Do you think we can pilot this thing over there with Moltezz blasting everything out the sky?"

"Hell yeah I do. I have another promise to keep." Diego sat himself in the co-pilot's seat next to Tivy, eyes firmly glued to the windows."Plasia, there should be a medical facility on the upper deck somewhere, get Seeth to it and make sure she's alright. Tivy, take the wheel and stay on that radio, listen out for where Oxyi might be. Trent, Geralt, keep an eye on the ship's vitals and let me know if anything's out of hand. Lets grab her and get the fuck out of here."

The ship rose quickly, picking up speed as it moved over the raging inferno that used to be a forest. Its shields were strong enough to resist the blazing heat but Moltezz was wrapping up now with the remaining Quill-Bellies, driving the survivors into a full retreat. She was surveying her surroundings with a sinister ruby glare and a smug smile, when a DA assault craft sped past behind her. She whipped round and stared after it. Hmm... Didn't I kill all of those pesky little dragons earlier?

*

Within the rickety confines of the comm tower, Oxyi watched the battle unfold. She felt bitter and defeated, but took some solace in her final message to the universe. She watched the tiny figures running about the city like ants underneath her, refugees trying their best to escape from the horde that was hunting them down. There was nothing more to be done now, than wait for her eventual death.

Just all all hoped had left her, a bright light suddenly shone and hit Oxyi right in the eye. She winced from it and used her hand to cover her face, but turned slowly to find out what had dared to interrupt her final moments.

A brilliant white aircraft was rapidly approaching the comms tower! Oxyi sat bolt upright and knocked her chair back, as she stared at the giant craft heading straight towards her.

"What in the fuck is going on now?! UGH! I am so sick of saying that! Can't I just die in peace?"

The ship slowed on approach, finally stopping and hovering over and beside the roof. Oxyi was overcome with confusion; she recognised the DA's style and calibre, but there was no way they'd come all this way to rescue her... right?

The roof was accessible from the main communications room Oxyi was in, via a skinny metal ladder at the back of the room. Her body still aching and tired, she hauled herself up the ladder and pushed the hatch up. She pulled herself onto the roof, and onto her feet. She stood, directly facing the DA ship hovering close to the side. Its airlock hissed open, exhaling great white clouds of air. They slowly dissipated, revealing the silhouettes of two men in the darkness of the craft's interior.

"Diego..? GERALT?!"

The last two men Oxyi had ever been expecting to see in this life again.

Hair whipping around her face, Oxyi's jaw dropped and her eyes primed with tears as Geralt and Diego held their arms out to her. The ship inched closer to the roof, but it couldn't quite close the gap.

"Jump, Oxyi, JUMP!"

Oxyi didn't even hesitate; she sprinted across the rooftop and launched herself at the aircraft... and landed safely in their arms.

The airlock closed the moment she was inside. Oxyi stood, breathing heavily, feeling the strength and the warmth in the arms that still held onto her. Immediately she felt her tough facade, her bravery slip away, as she realised that she was safe. She wasn't going to die today. Choking back tears, she wrapped her arms around both of their necks.

"Thank you..." She whispered. "God, thank you..."

Diego gently unwound her arm and placed it over Geralt. Oxyi embraced him, then pulled away as the tears started to roll down her face. She took his hand and shook it firmly, her own hands shaking.

"Don't mention it, Oxyi." Geralt smiled at her, relief deep in his wise and wrinkled eyes. He lowered his hand from her grasp and stepped back, glancing up at Diego. "Besides, it's this guy you should be thanking."

Oxyi turned and threw her arms around Diego, resting her head heavily against his chest as she tried desperately to control her crying. He gently hugged her back, glancing back at Geralt with a small smile as the old feline made his way back to the cockpit, and towards the sleeping quarters.

Oxyi stepped back slightly and looked Diego up and down, fresh tears forming in her eyes and a grateful, heartfelt smile on her face.

"You look like shit..." She went to laugh but quickly it devolved into a sob. She didn't even give the lizard a chance to respond; she threw herself back into his embrace and squeezed him tightly, burying her face into his neck.

"And you didn't leave the planet like I said... did you...?" Diego laughed back, hugging her close.

"N-no... but... oh god.. Diego, it's so good to see you..! Where... where's your sword? And why was Geralt naked?!

Diego laughed, and they felt their weight shift as the spaceship pulled up from the town and ascended into the sky. Only a few seconds later, the craft was already high in orbit, the planet rapidly receding from their sight. The town Oxyi had spent her whole life in had suddenly become nothing more than a dot beneath their feet as the team finally made it to safety, away from the hellish fire and the rumbling hordes below them.

They'd done it. They were off planet. The dungeon lay in ruins. Safe, for now at least, in the dark and comforting confines of space. Distant stars winked down at them. Galaxy clouds floated aimlessly around in the ether. Tivy gazed out the cockpit's windshields as Trent celebrated behind her. With the flick of a switch, the craft was set to autopilot, and she spun her captain's chair around to face them, beaming from ear to ear.

Geralt emerged from the sleeping quarters with a pile of clothes in his arms of varying sizes. Trent and Tivy made their way over to the ship's mess quarters, plucking some shirts and trousers from the feline as they passed. The pair raided one of the many well-stocked refrigerators and slumped down together at the lunch table. As Oxyi approached the rest of the team, Geralt, now dressed in a comfortable white polo shirt and grey shorts, took her down towards the lounge, only a room away, where they sat on one of the comfy sofas to catch up. Her mind was elsewhere though; her hero hadn't followed her into the social quarters of the ship. At the top of the craft, in the infirmary Seeth lay heavily on a medical table as the exhausted lizard tended to her wounds, and ensured she was safe. The two spoke softly to one another, such sweet nothings in this hour of victory and hope.

Plasia sat in the corner of the room against a large crate, just happy to be in the company of Diego and Seeth as he pressed a damp cloth against Seeth's head and cleaned her up. He held onto her hand tightly, and Plasia glanced up and smiled as they softly began to giggle.

In her lap was an A4 notebook and a slightly chewed biro. She'd shyly been scribbling away with the stationary she'd found in the infirmary - the first thing she'd drawn in a long, long time.

Plasia lifted the notebook up in front of her and held it out. A satisfied smile spread across her face. Considering she was out of practice, she was happy with her creation.

On the page before her was a scribble of a black lizard with sabre toothed fangs, flowing black locks, cute bat-like ears and an oversized sword strapped across his back. Most unusual for a nomad traveller to be wielding a melee weapon like that... Plasia had quoted below the sketch.

But perhaps unusual is exactly what we needed.

Epilogue

"So. The Quill-Bellies have been destroyed and we're still trapped... but the bulkheads have held strong, and you've got a plan, sir?" The captain of the freighter was looking visibly more shaken, now that their back-up had been so easily destroyed, but he still had faith in his crew.

The guard captain, dressed in his full suit of power armour and his squad donned likewise behind him, nodded confidently. He flexed his massive rifle. "Yep. We just need to reclaim the hanger, and then we can take off. Me and the boys will lead the charge and lock the bulkhead behind us and hit the hanger bay quickly, get the door closed which should buy you enough time to get us in the air. Once off the ground, we can work through the ship methodically and deal with the remaining assailants without the threat of constant reinforcements."

"Excellent! Prep your men, we've got some time but the sooner the better!"

Just as some hope filled the room, a desperate scout came running onto the bridge, looking mortified.

"Captain! They've breached a lower security door! You need to see this!"

The crew turned their attention to the camera view before them. The same heavy security door they'd looked at dozens of times before, was now gone, completely destroyed, bent and ripped from the frame with huge, thick, dark trails of murky looking goo smeared over the walls. It was like someone had dragged a series of huge, tar-covered paint brushes against them. As they panned the camera, the remains of several guards came into shot. They'd been torn apart, their corpses barely recognisable through the dark goo that coated their armour and body parts...

A shudder ran through the ship followed by a deep, monstrous, alien roar. Several alarms suddenly sounded in unison, bleaching the bridge in flashing crimson lights.

*WARNING*

*LOWER BULKHEAD BREACHED*

*WARNING*

*LOWER BULKHEAD BREACHED*